Sup guys, I will be getting me computer in a couple of days. This will be my first one with a custom heat sink so I will have to apply the thermal paste myself. I've been researching on the internet the best way to do this. Methods that came up most: BB sized drop in middle Rice grain in middle Line method X method Double line method Coating whole surface with thin layer From the majority of stuff I read, it seems that the bb sized drop in the middle is the most preferred, or the coating of the whole surface with a thin layer. My problem with the small size drop is that after the cooler is applied, the surface area of the paste tends to be round, so I won't be covering the whole CPU? This would work perfectly if the heat sink was round but I'm getting the Zalman CNPS 9900 Max which has a square heatsink. What method do you normally use? Thanks saguran
I ve always used the whole surface method with no problems at all. When i used te Rice/BB in middle I could never get the paste to cover the whole CPU, not matter the pressure and twists I did at the heatsink. My method is not exactly thin layer, I just take Arctic Silver and start taping around the processor with just a hint of arctic silver with each tap. It takes around 30-40 taps to cover the CPU. After that, I fit the heatsink, do a few twists, lift it, see that the paste is evenly spread and read for action. This way you wont need something to spread the paste. (too much paste left on the tool used for the spreading, which means paste wasted!)
^The paste doesn't need to cover the whole area....and it spreads flat when you screw down the heatsink. I use BB in the middle.
It's also going to depend on what kind of mounting surface your cooler has and how think the paste you are using is. For example, I don't recommend using the BB method with heat pipe direct contact style coolers because they usually have small gaps between the pipes that the paste won't spread past. Some of the thickest pastes don't spread all that well and work better with alternate methods. Google some thermal paste round-ups, the better ones usually show how the pastes spread with different mounting methods.. These two reviews of your cooler show both the BB and thin spread type applications: http://www.guru3d.com/article/zalman-cnps-9900-max-review/5 http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Zalman/CNPS9900_MAX/4.html
Cool thanks for the replies guys. I'm leaning more towards the thin spread method. I just want to get it right first time without lifting the heat sink, because I've read that this introduces air bubbles.
The Guru3d review sure looks like it has a lot of thermal paste on and some of it is on the side of the CPU and the CPU cage. Reading have suggested that this is not recommended because the thermal paste is conductive. Will it actually short out something?
Yeah I noticed they really made a mess of it. In theory, most of the thermal pastes are supposed to be non-conductive, but that install just looks like it's asking for trouble. As a rule of thumb, you need less than you think you will. It will spread to a very thin layer, and too much can hurts temps just as much as not enough.
I make a drop in the middle, install the heatsink. Then I remove it, to check how it spread, and if the applied amount isn't too much. If it's fine, I clean both, make another drop, install HS and leave it that way..
With mirror finish heat sinks, small, less than pea size drop in middle. It spreads in a circle to cover the cores. Doesnt need to cover all 4 corners. If HS has direct touch heat pipes, you will need to apply more paste.
Depends on the paste. I'm using IC Diamond24 atm and the recommended application is a pea sized blob. This stuff is quite viscous so I didn't try a spreading method, as it recommended not to.
Coating whole surface with a thin layer using a card,i have done this for many many years,no problems at all.
Visa. For everything else, there's MasterCard. Anyway, I always spread it thin, since the paste I use is quite thick, as in having a rather high viscosity; it's a Zalman STG1. From what I've read elsewhere, pastes that are more fluid should be used with the 'BB/drop in the middle' method.
"thin layer all over it" works to me. My idea is that, I need to physically see/know that the area is properly covered.
Using the exact same method what ever it has the name Artic Silver, Diamond or MX-4. Thin layer with max thickness of a regular fingernail (not my dads). Even fluid pastes should be spread if you want to avoid insulation and adding to much so that paste is getting over the CPU/GPU edge.
i found this here some years back..very good explained and and picture shown the diff between the ways to do it... this is how i use it on my HDT cooler.. (pictures taken from ******************com) Here are also other coolers explained like: Square-Base Application and Round Surface Application. -BetA- edit: aahhww, crap. seems that site isnt allowed lool...its here: its the first result. lol..
